New research from Action for Children shows 84,000 young carers are registered with councils in the UK – a mere fraction of the real number.
Yesterday (August 3rd) Action for Children published new research – obtained from a Freedom of Information (FoI) request – showing 84,256 young carers are registered with local authorities across England and Wales.
However, separate findings from the University of Nottingham suggest there are an estimated 800,000 young carers (individuals aged between 11-16) currently looking after a loved one in England alone.
This means approximately 90% of young carers could be missing out on statutory help.
Against this backdrop, the FoI request revealed 29% of councils either had no additional provision for young carers during school summer holidays, or the only extra provision was via services available to other children, including the Holiday Activities Fund which is supplied by central government.
In the UK councils are legally required to assess the impacts of caring on a young person, though many children aren’t aware that the help they give to a loved one puts them in a formal caring role.
For example, Megan, 16, said she didn’t realise she was a young carer until a social worker mentioned it. Megan helps look after her 12-year-old sister Mia, who has autism, a learning disability and is limited verbally.
‘I didn’t realise I was a young carer until a couple of years ago, when my sister’s social worker brought it up,’ Megan remarked. ‘It can feel really lonely, especially when people don’t understand. Summer holidays can be very hard. All my friends go off on holiday or are out and about the whole time. That just isn’t an option for me, and I can feel isolated at times. Everything I do has to relate back to my sister and her needs.
‘A lot of the time for me it feels more like being a third parent rather than a sibling…like I am living her life before my own or instead of my own.’
Paul Carberry, chief executive at Action for Children, is calling on the government to provide better support for these individuals.
‘We see firsthand in our services just how vital access to specialist support is for young carers. It gives them a break from their responsibilities, a chance to have fun and be a child, and to meet other young people in similar situations who understand what they’re going through,’ Paul said.
‘We also know the loneliness, anxiety and stress that can be placed on their shoulders, particularly during the long summer holidays when they’re not at school getting that social time out of the home. Services for young carers also give support workers an opportunity to spot problems early before they hit crisis point.’
Responding to the research, Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the children and young people board at the Local Government association, added: ‘Supporting and improving the rights of young carers is a priority for councils, who work hard to make sure they can access the support they need while continuing to enjoy their childhoods and fulfil their potential.’
‘Every young carer has a right to an assessment to find out if they need additional support, and councils will do all they can to provide this support where needs are identified,’ Cllr Shah continued. ‘However, finding young carers is challenging as they are often isolated and hidden from view.
‘With around 1,700 referrals to children’s social care services every day, councils continue to face mounting pressures providing vital support to children and young people. This high level of demand, alongside significant funding challenges, has severely stretched councils’ ability to provide the support needed to all carers.’
Photo by Ryan Stefan via UnSplash
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